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Mostly Awesome

Center for Digital Technology and Management (CDTM)www.cdtm.de
Mostly Awesome is a podcast about the personal journeys of innovators. We talk to the doers and thinkers of our time to understand what motivates them and why they do what they do. Together we reflect upon their decisions, wins, and setbacks. Meet our inspiring yet relatable guests from the world of entrepreneurship and technology to find out what may help you to become an innovator of tomorrow! Get ready for bi-weekly episodes on Wednesdays. We are looking forward to our guests and your feedback to podcast@cdtm.de. Mostly Awesome is brought to you by the Center for Digital Technology and Management (CDTM) in Munich. For more information, check www.cdtm.de/podcast. And now lean back, listen in, and learn from the thought leaders of our time!
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Episodes

#24 Sona Chandra: A new paradigm in drug discovery

In this episode, we are talking to Sona Chandra, the co-founder of Terra Lumina - an AI-based drug discovery platform. Sona is a qualified Biomedical engineer who speaks passionately about drug discovery and healthcare. One can tell from her responses that she’s determined to make a dent in how we as a civilization discover and engineer medicines. We spoke to Sona about her cross-continental journey and understanding how a person of Indian origin, who is actually a citizen of Australia, gets edu...

Jan 04, 202250 min

#42 Hung Dang: Creating a new standard for Data

In this episode, we spoke to Hung Dang- an inspiring CDTM alumnus and the founder of Y42 - the company that is on the mission to build the most powerful and simple to use data tool that allows everyone to work with their data efficiently and collaboratively. In October 2021, the company raised one of the biggest Series A funding rounds in Europe. But before founding Y42, Hung had his fair share of hardship and challenges - He was born in Vietnam and grew up with his grandparents while his parent...

Nov 30, 202147 min

#22 Arseniy Vershinin: Automating the people workflow at Personio

Arseniy Vershinin is a co-founder and CTO of Personio - Europe's leading one-stop HR platform for small and medium-sized businesses. It helps small businesses across Europe manage common HR tasks like onboarding, payroll, and attendance accounting. Coming originally from Russia, Arseniy moved to Munich in 2011. Here, at CDTM he met his future co-founders Hanno Renner, Ignaz Forstmeyer, and Roman Schumacher. And this is where the Personio story begins! Tune in to listen to Arseniy's personal jour...

Nov 16, 202146 min

#21 Awais Shafique: Changing the way people shop with the power of AI

This time, we had a very exciting talk with Awais Shafique - the co-founder and CPO of a FashionTech startup presize.ai. After finishing his Bachelor's degree in his homeland Pakistan, Awais came to Germany to study Biomedical Computing at Technical University in Munich. As he was already very passionate about entrepreneurship at the time, Awais joined the Center for Digital Technologies and Management. And after just one year he founded presize.ai with two other Centerlings, Leon Szeli and Tomi...

Nov 02, 202148 min

#20 Dr. Sophie Chung: Medical Tourism - great healthcare should be accessible to all

Dr. Sophie Chung is the CEO and Founder of Qunomedical - a digital health platform with a focus on medical travel that helps patients find the right doctor anywhere in the world. On the mission to empower patients worldwide, Qunomedical gives everyone the chance to access great healthcare - no matter who they are and where they are from. Sophie, who spent five years as a Consultant at McKinsey & Company told us about her career decisions and instances that proved to be inflection points alon...

Oct 19, 202148 min

Teaser Season 3: Launching episodes every 2nd Tuesday with our new hosts Keke and Maria!

Welcome to Season 3 of Mostly Awesome with our new hosts Keke and Maria! We are again talking to inspiring innovators from the world of entrepreneurship and technology to give you unique insights into their personal journeys, motivation, and opinions. Listen to our teaser to meet our new hosts and get a sneak peek at our awesome lineup of guests. As usual, we will be launching new episodes bi-weekly, starting on Tuesday 19th of October. We are looking forward to your feedback to podcast@cdtm.de....

Oct 18, 20213 min

#19 Caroline Weimann: Politics - an important vehicle for social and ecological change

Caroline Weimann is the founder and co-director of JoinPolitics. JoinPolitics aims to open unusual routes into politics by supporting and giving seed capital to political talent and applying the disruptive and innovative nature of entrepreneurship to politics. Caroline holds a Master’s degree in International Studies from SOAS - University of London and an Executive MPA from the Hertie School of Governance. Previously, she worked on building social ventures at Siemens Stiftung, at the EU Commiss...

Aug 24, 202152 min

#18 Daniel Metzler: It’s called hardware because its hard – founding in the aerospace industry

Daniel Metzler is the co-founder and CEO of Isar Aerospace. Daniel studied mechanical engineering at TU Wien and aerospace engineering at TUM. During his studies in Munich, he joined the rocket technology initiative WARR, where he worked on special rocket engines and met his later co-founders - Josef Fleischmann and Markus Brandl. In 2018, they founded Isar Aerospace Technologies GmbH. Isar Aerospace builds satellite launch vehicles that are smaller, cheaper, and more sustainable than existing o...

Aug 10, 202145 min

#17 Daniel Besendorfer: Creating a mutual dialogue between business and technology

Daniel Besendorfer is the CEO of Allianz Technology, the IT service provider of the Allianz Group. He studied economics in Freiburg and Boston and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Freiburg. He started his career as an executive assistant in the German life insurance division of Allianz. Daniel quickly took on leadership responsibilities and progressed through many different positions at Allianz for almost 17 years before taking on his role as Chief Executive Officer of Allianz Technology ear...

Jul 27, 202159 min

#16 Alev Canoglu: Promoting equal opportunities

Alev Canoglu is the founder of the Munich-based non-profit organisation Female Tech Leaders, which aims to empower women in STEM and leadership positions and mentor tech-savvy girls. After graduating and working in the documentary film industry, Alev decided to change fields and studied computer science at LMU and TUM. Alev has previously led product initiatives at Siemens, Microsoft and Autoscout. 2:25 Alev's career path: In the beginning, Alev tells us why she moved from the arts to the tech i...

Jul 13, 202147 min

#15 Folkert Behrends: Balancing performance and recovery

Folkert Behrends is a triathlete and professional coach. After an accident in 2008, doctors told him he might never be able to walk again. But 15 months later, Folkert successfully competed in the Iron Man triathlon and became world champion in his age group. Building on this experience, he is now active as a speaker and as a coach for individuals, teams, and companies. In this role, he shares his insights on taking risks, believing in yourself, and striving for more, but also on patience and ta...

Jun 29, 202154 min

#14 Saskia Bruysten on social businesses – using economic thinking to generate social impact

Saskia Bruysten is co-founder and CEO of Yunus Social Business. After studying economics at EBS and LSE, Saskia started her career at Boston Consulting Group. After a crucial meeting with Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus, she decided to go into social business, and they eventually co-founded Yunus Social Business. Saskia is also an active member of the UN Commission's Expert Group on Social Business, as well as a lecturer at events including the World Economic Forum and the Clinto...

Jun 15, 202142 min

#13 Hana Milanov: A career in academia - a different perspective on entrepreneurship

Hana Milanov is a Professor of International Entrepreneurship at the Technical University of Munich and an active board member and mentor at CDTM. Hana studied management in Croatia, earned her Ph.D. in Entrepreneurship and Strategy in the U.S. and worked as a professor at IE Business School in Spain for 5 years. 3:07 Hana’s career in academia: In the beginning, Hana explains why she decided to do research and teach instead of being an entrepreneur. She also shares her initial challenges as an a...

Jun 01, 202147 min

#12 Jakob Assmann: Why we need more entrepreneurs to avoid a climate crisis

Jakob is the founder of Greengas Concepts and Polarstern Energie, which are pioneers in developing sustainable energy and heating solutions. He is also the co-owner and managing director of Impact Hub Munich, which supports sustainable entrepreneurship and innovation. Before entering entrepreneurship, Jakob studied business administration and earned his Ph.D. at LMU Munich. 2:19 Jakob's career path: Jakob tells us about his journey to earn a Ph.D. and how this gave him time to reflect and figure...

May 18, 202147 min

#11 Veronika Riederle: From consulting to entrepreneurship - building something that matters to you

Veronika Riederle is the Founder and CEO of Demodesk, an intelligent meeting platform for remote sales that was supported by Y-Combinator. Veronika studied in Munich and New York and is an alumna of the CDTM. After graduating, she spent five years in consulting at Bain & Company before starting her own company. 2:31 Veronika's career choices: In the beginning, Veronika talks about why she initially decided to go into consulting and what she learned from that experience. She also shares her t...

May 04, 202134 min

#10 Dan Ram: Host, speaker & coach - falling in love with what you are becoming

Dan Ram is a speaker, motivational coach and event host. He has hosted some of the biggest innovation and tech events, such as Bits & Pretzels, and has delivered 5 Ted Talks on a variety of topics, from motivational tips to the power of diversity. Before finding his passion as a host, Dan worked in many different jobs, including for the UN, as an entrepreneur, consultant, and voice-over artist. Dan grew up traveling the world as the son of an Indian diplomat, who made his way out of India’s ...

Apr 20, 202147 min

#09 Anna Alex: Sustainable entrepreneurship - how to align purpose with profit

Anna Alex is the co-founder and COO of Planetly, a tech startup on a mission to help build a carbon neutral economy. Previously, she co-founded Outfittery, Europe's leading online personal shopping service for men. For her achievements, she was named one of the young elite top 40 under 40. 2:43 Anna's journey into entrepreneurship: In the beginning, Anna talks about how she got interested in the startup scene, what she learned during her time at Rocket Internet, and why she would not recommend g...

Apr 06, 202139 min

#08 Nino Ulsamer: Serial Entrepreneur – the winded road to build a successful startup

Nino Ulsamer is a serial entrepreneur and currently CTO of StashAway in Singapore, a digital wealth management platform that personalizes financial planning and portfolio management. He has founded seven times on three different continents, out of which two companies have already become a great success. 03:52 Nino's early career and his decision to become a founder: In the beginning, Nino talks about his personal journey of becoming a founder, how CDTM impacted his decision, and why he chose ent...

Mar 23, 202139 min

Teaser Season 2: Launching episodes every 2nd Wednesday with our new hosts Lisa and Tim!

Welcome to Season 2 of Mostly Awesome with our new hosts Lisa and Tim! We are again talking to inspiring innovators from the world of entrepreneurship and technology to give you unique insights into their personal journeys, motivation, and opinions. Listen to our teaser to meet our new hosts and get a sneak peek at our awesome lineup of guests. As usual, we will be launching new episodes bi-weekly, starting on Wednesday 24th of March. We are looking forward to your feedback to podcast@cdtm.de. F...

Mar 21, 20217 min

#07 Carsten Maschmeyer: Die Anfänge des TV Löwen – Vom Verkaufstalent zum Gründer und Investor

Carsten Maschmeyer ist erfolgreicher Gründer, Investor, Bestsellerautor und Juror in der TV-Show "Die Höhle der Löwen". Als Jäger nach den besten unternehmerischen Ideen auf dem Markt hat Carsten Maschmeyer mit seiner gleichnamigen Maschmeyer Group – einem Kollektiv von mehreren Investmentfonds – bis dato in über 85 Unternehmen investiert. Carsten spricht darüber, was ihn in den Anfängen seiner von Armut geprägten Kindheit angetrieben hat, wie sich seine Wahrnehmung von Reichtum im Laufe der Jah...

Feb 24, 202158 min

#06 Laura Lewandowski: Disruptive journalism – how to tell stories that sell

Laura Lewandowski is a Top 30 under 30 journalist, columnist (Business Insider), podcast host (Innovator Sessions by Red Bull), and co-founder of the "The Meet Your Mentor” YouTube series, featuring leaders such as Jay Shetty, Nico Rosberg, Toni Garrn or Sophia Amoruso. On top, she consults companies on storytelling such as Facebook, Uber, or Google. In this episode, Laura talks about how she initiates, develops, and starts successful formats, and projects with top companies such as an “African ...

Feb 10, 202136 min

#05 Prof. Klaus Diepold: Diversity in tech – how to bust the myths and change perceptions of STEM careers

Klaus Diepold is a professor for data processing at the department for electrical and computer engineering at TUM, Former TUM’s Senior Vice President for Diversity and Talent Management, focusing on machine learning and moral machines, and a member of the board of directors at CDTM. In this episode, Prof. Diepold talks about how he ended up in academia after several positions as CTO in various tech-companies and what biases and problems he sees in the peer-review process and competition among pr...

Jan 27, 202130 min

#04 Katharina Mayer: The social-impact entrepreneur – fast forward after the DHDL deal

Katharina Mayer is the Founder and CEO of the social start-up Kuchentratsch. Translated the company name means „Cake Tittle-Tattle“ and this gives a hint what the mission behind the social start-up is all about: preventing the feeling of social isolation and poverty of the elderly by providing grandmas and grandpas with a place in Munich to get together, pursue their passion for baking, and top up their pension. In 2018 Katharina made a successful deal in the German version of shark tank called ...

Jan 13, 202129 min

#03 Sven Schmidt: VC Brain and Entrepreneurial Mastermind – meet the controversial yet admired business analyst

Sven Schmidt is Managing Director and CMO at Machineseeker Group and a serial entrepreneur. He co-founded venture-backed Verwandt, which was sold to Accel portfolio company MyHeritage. Sven also was the co-founder of Getgo, a venture-backed e-commerce ticketing company that was sold to CTS Eventim, where he was head of the New Media division. On top, he was Venture Partner at Accel and Earlybird in total for 6.5 years. He is most prominently known for being a regular podcast guest at OMR podcast...

Dec 30, 202041 min

#03 Sven Schmidt: VC Brain und Gründer Mastermind – kontrovers, gefeiert und heiß debattiert

Sven Schmidt ist Geschäftsführer und CMO bei der Machineseeker Group und Serial Entrepreneur. Er war Mitgründer des Wagniskapital-finanzierten Unternehmens Verwandt .de, das an das Accel-Portfoliounternehmen MyHeritage verkauft wurde. Sven war auch Mitbegründer von Getgo, einem VC-finanziert E-Commerce-Ticketing-Unternehmen, das an CTS Eventim verkauft wurde, wo er den Bereich Neue Medien leitete. Darüber hinaus war er insgesamt 6,5 Jahre lang Venture Partner bei Accel und Earlybird. Bekannt ist...

Dec 30, 202032 min

#02 Judith Dada: Rising star in VC - why you should expose yourself to high-risk high-reward opportunities

Judith Dada is a partner and managing director of La Famiglia, a women-led Berlin-based VC firm that invests in seed-stage B2B tech startups. In this episode, Judith talks about how she ended up in VC and what biases she encounters as a female VC partner. She tells us about the process of launching a second fund and how the COVID-19 pandemic affected La Famiglia. From a macro perspective, Judith shares her opinion on the regulation of tech companies as an ex-Facebook manager and why we urgently ...

Dec 15, 202036 min

#01 Hanno Renner: Halfway to unicorn status - what it takes to scale a startup

Hanno Renner is the founder and CEO of Personio, an HR SaaS company on its way to becoming Germany's next unicorn. As a passionate skipper, Hanno tells us how he navigates his 500-employee ship and what he learned about sailing his team as servant leader through rough seas aka the Covid-19 crisis. We also learn from Hanno how Personio is set-up for rapid growth, the benefits of Metrics Monday, and how the M&A integration of the Spanish startup 'Rollbox' underwent. Additionally, Hanno shares ...

Dec 01, 202033 min

#00 Teaser - new episodes launching bi-weekly on Wednesdays!

Welcome to Mostly Awesome, a podcast by CDTM in Munich, launching new episodes bi-weekly on Wednesdays on all platforms where you can listen to a podcast! What awaits you here, why you should listen in, and who are we? In this teaser, you will find all the answers! We are looking forward to our guests and your feedback to podcast@cdtm.de. Follow our channel to never miss an episode!

Nov 27, 20203 min
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